A Light In The Dark World
by silverlover300
Summary: Wrong Boy-Who-Lived. Everyone believes Nick killed Voldemort but it really was Harry and Alex. What happens when it is revealed that Alex and Harry aren't Potters? Mayham of course. Manipulative Dumbledore. Molly, Ginny, Ron, Dumbledore bashing. Slytherin Alex and Harry. Good Malfoys. Alex/Snape Harry/Hermione. Mostly Alex P.O.V. OOC. OC.
1. The Start Of The Mess

A Light In The Dark World

Chapter 1

The Potters were an ordinary family. Well, as ordinary as they could be since they were a wizard family after all. The family consisted of Lily and James Potter, the parents. Along with Nicholas, Harry, and Alexis Potter. Nobody called Nicholas by his full name or Alexis by hers. To everyone, they were known as Nick and Alex. The three children were triplets. At least, that's what everyone believed. But there was a secret that had gone no farther than the senses of the kids' grandfather, Charles Potter, who died when the children were a week old.

He knew that Alex and Harry weren't Potters. The day Nick had been born, two people appeared in front of him. They had given him the two children. When he asked why they couldn't take care of them, he was told that their most ancient of laws advised against it until the children reached maturity. If the law wasn't followed, the results would be tragic, not only for the children, but their parents as well.

**_Start Flashback_**

_As Charles looked at the two children in his arms, his face softened. Pulling out his wand, he waved it over the children, and muttered a revealing charm, to show whom they were. He frowned at the results he received._

_Name: Alexis_

_Date Of Birth: January 1, 1900 12:00:00 A.M._

_Mother: - - - - -_

_Father: - - - - - -_

_Name: Harry_

_Date Of Birth: January 1, 1900 12:00:00 A.M._

_Mother: - - - - -_

_Father: - - - - - -_

_Charles threw every revealing and translating charm he could at the names of the parents, but they remained blank with dashes he could not decipher. When the names refused to reveal themselves, Charles sighed. Looking once more at the faces of the sleeping children, his mind began to form a plan. It was dangerous but hopefully it would be worth it. He couldn't condemn two children to horrible fate._

**_End Flashback_**

Charles had summoned a blood adoption potion. It was easy to get the blood from James and Lily. James had been thrown out after his pacing and talking only aggravated Lily. He had fallen asleep in a nearby chair. Before he had gone to see Lily, Charles had confunded the healer to make her think that there had been three children born. He wouldn't have to alter Lily's memory since she had passed out halfway through and Nick had been delivered through surgery. Once he had gotten the blood, Charles had mixed it into the potion and fed it to the children, watching as their features changed. The potion was permanent until maturity so it was safe to use. When James and Lily had awoken, they weren't shocked, just surprised. The reasoning ended up as three kids being why Lily had passed out. The three children were treated equally, with the same amount of love and care. Everything in the family was perfect. Until the day Voldemort attacked.

October 31st of 1991. The night was darker than ever and the moon covered by clouds. The three children had been sleeping so Lily and James thought it would be okay to attend he order meeting at Hogwarts. Since the house was under the Fidelus charm, they didn't worry about anything happening. They believed the house to be safe. They couldn't have been more wrong.

Voldemort entered the house, looking at the muggle objects with disdain. Sneering, he prowled the house, looking for the Potter kids so he could kill them. When he finally found them, he was shocked but what he saw. Two of the kids, were holding hands and their aura was pure white. The last child' aura was a faint gray, indicating he was little more that a squib. Voldemort pointed his wand at the joined hands of the toddlers and spoke the deadly words. He watched with glee as the curse sped towards the children. But to his shock, instead of hitting them, it hit and invisible barrier and bounced back towards him. Before he could try to move, Voldemort had been blown apart.

The magical backlash ran through the house, causing most of the roof to rain in. the two children holding hands were still asleep but their hands had been disconnected. A tile from the roof fell and hit Nick in the head, causing blood to flow freely from the scar that ran the length of his forehead. Alex and Harry had lightning bolt scars on their foreheads that glowed with an eerie green and black light for a second and then faded. The tile that had hit Nick bounced off and fell near the twins, making it seem as if their scars were because of the tile.

Minutes later, James, Lily, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Albus Dumbledore Ran in through the entrance. Dumbledore surveyed the room, taking in the appearance of the children. He knew that Voldemort was gone; the wand on the ground was enough proof. He sensed evil coming from Alex and Harry. Wanting a savior he could mold, wanting them to be pure of any evil, declared Nick the savior. As the hero was hailed, nobody noticed the other twins, Alex and Harry. Most of their magic had been blocked until their maturity, but they were still more powerful then all of the magical beings on earth combined.

"Albus, is this really true?" Lily asked. It seemed impossible to believe that the years of terror had finally ended.

"Yes Lily, it is?" Dumbledore said. "Nicholas Potter is the defeater of Voldemort, the savior of the wizarding world, and the Boy-Who-Lived." No one dared to question Dumbledore. They followed him blindly, believing him to be the most powerful person on the planet. That was their first big mistake. One that would come to haunt them later on in life.


	2. Potter Manor

A Light in the Dark World

Chapter 2

Ten years had passed since that fateful night. On the morning of July 31st, the sun rose as usual, shining light on Potter Manor. Looking at it, the manor didn't seem any different than it had been years ago. It still looked the same. Huge gardens bursting with color, red, blue, yellow, and purple. In the back, there was a large Quidditch field. The manor itself was impressive. Standing over ten stories tall, it was done in shades of red and gold both on the inside and outside.

But inside was a totally different story. Pictures adorned the living room and any empty space possible. The photos showed three people. A man and a woman with their son in front of them. The woman had a dazzling smile, her bright red hair falling to just below her shoulders. Her eyes were a bright green color. The man had untidy hair on his head, brown eyes and round glasses perched on his nose. The boy was a combination of both. He had his father's messy black hair and his mother's bright green eyes. The photo showed Lily and her husband James Potter. The child was their son, Nick potter.

But what the pictures didn't show was the fact that there were two other children in the manor. But nobody ever talked to them. They were Alex and Harry Potter.

Since they weren't the precious kid that lived, they were completely ignored. Harry had messy black hair and bright green eyes. He wore glasses and someday hoped to get contacts or his eyes surgically corrected. Alex had dark brown hair that fell to past her waist. Her eyes were a dark chocolate brown. What Lily and James didn't know was that since no body ever came to check up on them, each day they port keyed away to studios where they worked in movies. Their appearances were altered so nobody knew it was them. Due to this they had an endless vault in Gringotts filled with not billions, but trillions of galleons. It wasn't hard to make. Their movies were famous worldwide.

But James and Lily found out they were leaving the house. They put wards up so they couldn't get past. So instead, they concentrated their magic and made golems to go in their place. They were torture with work and had to do every socks chore. They cleaned all the rooms, cooked and barley got anything to eat. Their golems still made money for them to use when they started school. Alex and Harry could still remember the time that they had accidental apparated to the studio.

_**Start Flashback**_

_"You are never to come here again or else I will flay you within an inch of your life. DO YOU UNDERSTAND!"_

_James roared at seven year old Harry and Alex. Mature well above their age, they had the brains of professors with all the books they read. Alex and Harry had accidentally levitated one of Nick's toys._

_"Stay here. You wont come out unless I call you."_

_And with that, James slammed the door shut. They heard the click of a lock and a faint white aura showing that the door had been magically locked._

_Harry looked over at Alex and gaped. She was glowing. Literally glowing. An aura of pure black, silver, and gold had surrounded her. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Alex spun around to yell at him but before she could open her mouth, they disappeared. Alex had the feeling of being pushed through a tube. It made her sick to her stomach._

_The next second the twins stopped spinning and looked around. They were in a large room with groups of people standing and talking in front of cameras. There was a beautiful backdrop of a snowy background._

_Suddenly someone saw them and narrowed her eyes. She was a beautiful woman with black hair, brown eyes, and was wearing a dress that Alex immediately fell in love with._  
_It was dark purple, reaching down to her feet where she wore matching dress shoes. He dress was trimmed with gold and had beautiful embroidery of gold all over._

_She elbowed a woman who looked quite similar and pointed in her direction. The second woman was obviously her sister. She was wearing a blood red dress with gold embroidery. The skirt reached to her feet and it looked like she had been dancing. Suddenly a voice yelled,_

_"Cut!"_

_Alex jumped backward and dragged Harry with her. But it was too late. Almost all the people there had already seen them. Somebody cleared their throat. Swallowing the lump in their throats, Harry and Alex looked right into the eyes of a man with black hair that was slicked back. His eyes were a warm dark brown and his voice was gentle as he asked the question Alex was too scared to answer._

_"Who are you?"_

_"I...we...I'm Alex and this is my brother Harry. We have no idea how we got here. We...ahem...we were in our room just seconds ago," Alex finally stuttered out._

_"Who are you." Harry asked._

_It seemed as if Alex had lost her voice. All she could do was stare into the eyes of the man in front of her. They seemed so warm and welcoming. A woman knelt down next to the man. She had long black hair, light brown eyes, and a nice smile. She wore a simple white dress that tightened at he waist and flowed out past that. Her hair was pulled back into a braid, held by a band that was sparkling blue and purple._

_The man looked at the woman and Alex saw an emotion bright in his eyes. Love. Alex felt pain pierce her heart. She would never see that warm smile; she would never know the happy feeling of love. She would never be loved except by her brother and nobody would ever be proud of her. No one would ever give the happiness and love to Alex. The love, happiness, proudness of a parent that would make her day. It would make her smile, a glowing smile that would light up the world at night._

_Alex wiped furiously at her eyes, ashamed of he tears that were threatening to fall. The man and woman both noticed her actions._

_"Hey don't cry. Why don't you tell us more about yourself? I'm Sharukh Khan and this is Kajol, my fiancé." the man said._

_Suddenly people telling them their names surrounded Alex and Harry. The woman in the purple dress introduced herself as Karishma Kapoor. The woman in the red dress was Kareena Kapoor, her sister._

_Alex was feeling overwhelmed from all the people around her. The entire place smelled soft and sweet, like roses and other flowers. Alex jumped when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She turned around and looked into cinnamon eyes. The man smiled at her. She was wearing a light brown leather jacket over a white sleeveless shirt. His pants were bright neon red and orange, making it hard for Alex to look at him head on._

_"Why don't you tell us how you got here?" his voice was soft and Alex once again felt a pang of sadness. "I'm Saif Ali Khan. But you can call me Saif. My name is a huge mouthful." The cinnamon eyes were twinkling with laughter. Harry smiled at the try to make a joke._

_"Ahem. Well our father locked us in our room because he thinks we hurt our dear brother Nick." Alex spat out her brother's name as if it was poison."I was so angry because he blames us for whatever happens to dear Nick. Even if Nick is the one who did it, we still get the blame. Apparently Harry put his hand on my shoulder. I spun around to yell at him and we disappeared."_

_"Were you thinking of trying to go somewhere when you spun around?" Saif asked._

_"I just wanted to get out of that prison and be somewhere that we wouldn't be confined." Alex said after looking thoughtful for a few seconds._

_Sharukh smiled at her and Alex could see the playful look in his eyes with another feeling she thought was shock._

_"You side-along apparated. It's hard enough for a wizard to apparate. But you brought Harry with you. And you didn't splinch yourselves."_

_Alex gaped at him. Two things registered in her mind. The first being that they were wizards. The second was shock. Apparation at this age._

_"You...you're wizards." Harry stuttered out. Saif smiled at the twins._

_"Course we are. If you don't believe us, I'll prove it to you." He flicked his wrist and the twins watched as a wand flew into his hand. He pointed it at Kareena's dress and turned it black with a muttered spell._

_She shrieked in surprise and pulled out her own wand, pointing it right at his face._

_"Turn my dress back now or so help me, you won't be sitting for a week." Saif readily complied and turned it back into red. Sharukh rolled his eyes at their antics._

_"I have an idea and it would benefit all of us. But until the children pay attention, nothing is happening anytime soon. And I don't mean Alex and Harry."_

_Alex and Harry looked up with eager eyes, ready to listen to the plan._

_**End Flashback**__  
_  
Their good fortune barley lasted a year. When James and Lily found out they were leaving, they placed tracking charms on the two. Each day they were given ridiculous amounts of chores to do, they barley got anything to eat and were subject to beatings and torture every day.

Everyone ignored them. Even their godfathers, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. They were too busy fawning over Nick to do anything or to even notice the twins. Ever since the downfall of Voldemort that dreadful night, Sirius and Remus had eyes only for Nick. They spoiled him rotten with gifts on his birthdays and totally ignored Alex and Harry. They no longer got any gifts. Both of them were extremely thin and tired from the work.

On the morning of July 31st, they were working in the kitchen. Alex was cooking stacks of pancakes, hash browns, tons of bacon and of course making a huge cake for breakfast. It was Nick's birthday and the Hogwarts letters were expected today. They would be going to Diagon Alley for the school supplies.

Meanwhile, Harry was crouched on the ground cleaning the floor until it shimmered. In a rush of noise, Lily and James ran into the kitchen along with Sirius and Remus. Nick, upon seeing the owl at the window screamed loudly.

"Mum. My Hogwarts letter is here!"


	3. The Hogwarts Letter

A Light In The Dark World

Chapter 3

When Alex heard Nick shout, she jerked her head up and saw an owl at the window. She looked at Harry who was also looking towards the window, longing in his eyes.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Get the letters and don't dare touch any of them, bring them straight to me." Alex was jerked out of her thoughts when James spoke. Looking once over the cooking food to make sure none was burning, she walked towards the window.

The fresh breeze was almost welcoming. She and Harry hadn't been out in ages. Not since they had been discovered sneaking out of their house each day. The owl flew in and landed on her arm. It was a gray-feathered owl with soft brown eyes. It nuzzled into Alex's hair as she gently untied the letters.

She saw three letters, one for each of them. After handing the letters to James, Alex turned back to the stove. She piled all the food into plates and placed them onto the table. All of the occupants started wolfing the food down. Alex looked on in distaste for a second before she turned back to the stove.

She took the last piece of bacon and held it out to the owl. While the owl ate, Alex gently stroked its feathers while her mind wandered. She couldn't help but hope that she would be able to go to Hogwarts. At least she wouldn't be forced to work every second away instead of doing the spells she and Harry read about each day. None of the people living in the house ever went near the library. James and Lily didn't mind as long as the house didn't catch fire. They all thought that since Nick defeated Voldemort as a baby that he was naturally powerful and wouldn't need any training. They believed that learning would be natural for him.

Something hit Alex in the face as she looked up. Reaching her hand out, she peeled the letter off her face. There were two letters, one for her and the other for Harry. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Harry putting away the cleaning supplies. Walking over to the window, Alex let the owl go. It nipped her finger before flying off into the distance. She shut the window and turned back to clear the table, placing the letters on the shelf as she did so.

After the table was clear and the kitchen free of dust, Alex picked the letters up off the counter. Grabbing the sandwiches she made earlier she knelt next to Harry and handed him one of the sandwiches. Harry looked at the sandwiches and sighed. The twins barley got anything to eat. Last time they tried to eat the leftover food, they bad been beaten with a whip and by Nick and James physically.

They still were beaten everyday as a punishment for "trying to break out of the house." Whenever Alex looked at herself, she felt disgust upon seeing the scars, whip marks, bruises and welts that lined her body. Not an inch of skin was clear from the marks and she always wished that they could go away. So many times, had her and Harry just been walking when they were pushed down the stairs and their body parts were accidentally stepped and fallen upon until they broke and sometimes, shattered.

Ignoring her thoughts for a while Alex looked at her letter. On the front, it had an image of a snake, badger, griffin, and an eagle surrounding the letter H. She opened the letter to read it.

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Miss Potter,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts  
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all  
necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.  
Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall,_

_Deputy Headmistress_

Alex felt another paper underneath the first and pulled it out to read.

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Uniform_

_First-year students will require_

_1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)_

_2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_

_3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

_4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)_

_Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry nametags_

_Course Books- All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk_

_A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot_

_Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling_

_A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emetic Switch_

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore_

_Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger_

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander_

_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble_

_Other Equipment_

_wand cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) set_

_glass or crystal phials_

_telescope set_

_brass scales_

_Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad_

_PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED  
THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS_

Having read it over once, Alex looked at Harry and smirked when his eyes caught hers. From the satisfied gleam in his eyes, he had read the last line. Not being able to bring his broom to school would drive Nick crazy. Hopefully, James wouldn't be able to help his son get around the restriction.

"Alexis, Harry". Alex jumped at the sound of her name. Standing up, she and Harry walked over to the living room, where the sound had come from. Once inside, she saw Nick sitting on the sofa with a smug look on his face. Ignoring him, she and Harry locked eyes with their so-called parents and godfathers. Lily spoke, after critically going over her state of looks and dress, "We're going to Diagon Alley today. Are you done with your chores?" seeing their confirming nods she continued on," We are leaving now so move to the fireplace. But first, James is giving off his cloak to the Potter heir. And you better have money saved of your own. We aren't giving you any." Having finished her lecture, Lily turned to watch her son receive he cloak.

When her words finally processed, Alex looked in horror at Harry. Sure they had millions of galleons sitting in Gringotts. They were rich from working with Kajol, Sharukh, and their friends from the studio, but they couldn't let the Potters know that. If they did, the money would be in the hands of Nick before any of then could say "Unfair."

Alex looked at he painting of her grandfather Charles Potter with pleading eyes. He knew exactly where Alex and Harry used to disappear off to. He hated the fact that the twins weren't treated properly. Just because they weren't the saviors didn't mean that they could be ignored. When he painting saw her worried look, he immediately spoke up.

"James, you know that you have to use the proper ceremony to give away the cloak. Place it on the table. Alex, Harry, Nick, come stand in front of me." When everybody did as told, he spoke once again "James Potter, do you give up your cloak completely, bestowing it to you heir, fully well knowing that it could be any of the three kids that stand in front of me?" James nodded. "Then I strip the cloak from your inheritance. Invisibility cloak of the heir of the House of Potter, return to your owner's hand."

As the painting stopped speaking, the cloak shimmered and disappeared. Nick held out his hand waiting for the cloak to appear as he sneered in the twins' direction. All of a sudden Alex felt the air shimmer above her, tingling with magic. As she looked up, an object fell onto her head, knocking her to the ground. She fumbled for a second trying to get up. Finally the weight disappeared from her body and she was able to stand. Alex looked at Harry, who was holding the cloak in his hand.

"But Dad, you said the cloak would be mine. Its mine. I'm the Potter heir, not those two idiots." When Nick finally stopped talking, he lunged at Harry and tried to pry the cloak from his hands.

Alex backed up quickly, the cloak in her hands being pulled just out of reach of Nick's oncoming arms, as he crashed to the floor. He got up, brushing dust off of his clothes. Alex and Harry sent smirks at Nick that replicated his earlier sneer. The painting of Charles started to speak once again.

"Since they are all starting their first-year at Hogwarts this year, then they will be given money according to the traditional system. James, you are going to give each of them a key to their personal trust vault, to be used until they graduate, which was created when they were born. You also created many copies of the Marauder's Map. You will give each of the three kids a copy; show them how to work it and also how to turn it on and off. This I order you to do by the tradition of the House of Potter."

As the painting stopped talking, there was a crackle in the air. Alex felt the magic run through the room before fading. James scowled at Alex and Harry as he pulled out his wand. He waved it once and murmured a summoning spell. Alex watched as the small objects zipped through the air and into his hand. James threw two of them towards Alex and Harry and he knelt next to Nick to hand him the last key. Alex and Harry caught the keys before they could fall to the ground.

Meanwhile, Sirius had also spoken a summoning spell and grabbed three folded parchments that hovered near his head in the air. With a look of distaste on his face, he beckoned Alex and Harry over to where nick already stood next to him. Sirius pointed his wand to each parchment in turn and spoke the password.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to good." When he spoke the spell, a map started to make itself on the parchment. He handed one parchment to each of the three kids before he continued his explanation. "This is the Marauder's Map. It is a map of Hogwarts. This isn't an ordinary map because disillusionment charms, polyjuice potions, glamours, and invisibility cloaks cannot trick it. No matter what it will always tell the true identity of the people in Hogwarts. To shut the map off, you have to say 'mischief managed.' You already heard me speak the opening password. Don't forget to wipe it shut or anyone will be able to read it." The second he finished talking, Nick asked the question that had been in his head.

"Can we turn it on and off nonverbally and wandlessly?" Sirius ruffled Nick's hair and chuckled. Alex smiled to herself as she watched Nick pull away and attempt to straighten his hair.

"Yes you can do it without your wand and without speaking. For that, you need to have a clear mind and also be able to push your magic through your hand into the parchment so it can activate. I can't do it because my mind is filled with all the pranks I have to teach you but a powerful wizard like you should be able to. When you do learn, teach the rest of us how to do it." Sirius then turned all the maps off and Alex folded hers up and put it into her pocket next to her key. Looking at Harry she realized he had done the same.

"Is it time to go yet?" Alex and Harry silently snickered at Nick's whiny voice. But stopped when Lily agreed.

"Yes, it is time to leave. Everybody to the Floo." Alex reached into the pot next to the fireplace and grasped a handful of floo powder. She had never used the floo before, but she had seen the others use it all the time and was sure that she could pull it off. Ignoring Lily completely, Alex walked into the fireplace where Harry already stood. She tightly interlocked their arms together and threw down the floo powder while yelling her destination.

"The Leaky Cauldron."


	4. Gringotts

A Light In The Dark World

Chapter 4

Neither Harry nor Alex had ever used the Floo before; they had only seen the rest of the occupants of Potter Manor using it. Alex gripped Harry's arm tightly, praying that when they came out, hey wouldn't fly out like Nick usually would. The swirling sensation started to slow down as they neared their destination. Suddenly, the sensation stopped altogether and Alex stepped out, closely followed by Harry. Not surprisingly, Nick was getting up off the floor and attempting to reek in some of his dignity as it appeared that he fell on his stomach and was covered in powder. The Floo flared behind Alex and Lily stepped out. Upon seeing her son, she immediately ran over to him and tried to help him brush the floo powder off his clothes.

Alex casually placed her hand in the pocket of her trousers and flicked her index finger, all while concentrating on a cleaning spell that she had seen in the library of Potter Manor. To her surprise, all of the floo powder vanished from everyone's clothes, leaving Nick looking shocked. Harry looked at Alex, his eyes wide like galleons. Alex hid her surprise under a mask of indifference. On the inside, Alex was jumping around for finally having performed magic. Even more so, her first magic had been wandless and nonverbal.

"Wow. How did you do that?" Nick questioned his parents. All four adults looked confused.

"We didn't do anything," said Remus. Nick looked confused once again until James spoke up.

"He hasn't even gotten a wand yet and is already doing wandless and nonverbal magic. Well done son." Nick's look of confusion turned to one of smugness and superiority. Alex rolled her eyes and followed the adults out of the Leaky Cauldron. She reached into her pocket, and to her relief felt both her key and her map. She watched as Lily walked forward and tapped the bricks on the wall with her wand. They started to move to the side, revealing an entire street filled with wizards walking this way and that.

Alex and Harry stepped into Diagon Alley for the first time in their life, in awe of what they saw happening in the alley. People crowded the street running back and forth between different shops to buy their school supplies. A large marble building stood at the far end, marking the finish of the alley. As the group neared the building, Alex saw what looked like two goblin guards, in complete battle armor and holding spears, on either side of the entrance. Alex turned around when Harry poked her, following his gaze to the writing on the wall.

_An intimidation for anyone who tries to steal anything of is thinking about it. It's probably impossible to rob it anyways, with all the guards protecting the treasure inside._

The group approached one of the goblins sitting behind a desk. He looked the group over disdainfully looking at Nick then looking at Alex and Harry with a curiosity in his gaze.

"James Potter, here to give your children their trust vaults for the duration of their school years." At James' nod, the goblin held out his hand. "The keys, if I may." Alex handed over he keys, as did Harry and Nick. The goblin inspected them for a minute. He ran one finger over each of the keys, muttering something that Alex couldn't catch, before proclaiming each vault to have exactly one million galleons. "How do you wish to access the money?"

"What do you mean?" Nick asked.

"You have three choices as to how you can access your money from the vault. Your first choice is to go to the vault each time you come here. It is one of our lesser used ideas, because you are in school and can't always come running to Gringotts whenever you want. The second choice would be to use a pouch that would be connected with your vault through a spell. Simply reaching into the pouch and imagining the amount of money you want will make the pouch fill with the desired amount or for it to appear in your hands, if the amount isn't too much for you to carry. The third choice is to get a card. It works like a muggle credit card. It can be used in both the magical and muggle world and it will give you both magical and muggle money in any currency. It would be connected to your vault through the use of a spell and only you would be able to use it through a spell connected to your blood."

The card seemed to make the most sense. It would work in any store and the fact that it could be used in the muggle world would be an extra plus. Another plus being it would work anywhere in the muggle world since it also gave out any currency. However, Nick didn't seem to be following Alex's train of though and decided on the slightly less smart choice.

"I want to use the pouch."

"Very well."

The goblin waved one finger over the key and placed it inside a pouch he pulled out from under his desk. Closing the pouch, he spoke Nick's full name and trust vault before handing it over to Nick. He eagerly grabbed the pouch and ran off towards the main doors. Lily turned back to look at Harry and Alex.

"We'll be outside. If you can't find us, we'll position Remus outside the building. Don't be long."

Alex nodded and watched as she walked off. Once she had left, Alex turned back to the goblin behind the counter. His eyes seemed to follow her around, waiting for her next move.

"Excuse me Mr. Goblin, but what is your name?" Harry asked

"Why do you ask? No person ever addresses us with respect."

"But you are still a magical being, even though you aren't a human being and don't use a wand. I'm sure that you know and can perform magic that has not even been heard of in the wizarding world seeing as they shun any who is a creature. I've read about how powerful goblins are and I also know that you could blast me out of the room with a flick of your finger if you wished to do so. It only makes sense for us to address those who know more than us with respect. I intend to show you that respect by using your name, not a common name. So I ask again, what is your name?"

The goblin looked down at Alex, his eyes contemplative for a second before he spoke.

"Very wise words for a person who is so young. My name is Griphook."

Harry had been quietly watching the exchange spoke up.

"Well Mr. Griphook-"

"Just Griphook. You two have earned my respect."

"Thank you Griphook. Here are our keys. We want to use the cards."

Griphook took the keys from the twins' hands. He pulled out two cards from what Alex assumed was a drawer in his desk. He pressed one of the keys against one of the cards and muttered something that neither Alex nor Harry could hear. The key melted into the card and Griphook reached for Alex's hand. He pricked her hand with a needle and let a drop of blood fall onto the card. The card glowed briefly for a moment while Griphook waved his hand over Alex's, instantly healing the wound. He handed he the card and repeated the process for Harry.

Remembering what Griphook had told her, Alex dropped her card onto the floor and watched as it vanished the second it hit the ground.

_It will always return to your pocket._

Looking directly into the goblin's eyes, Alex reached into her pocket and pulled out her card. Alex held her hand out for the goblin to shake.

"Thank you Griphook. I hope we will continue to remain on good terms."

"As long as the two of you remain as friendly and respectful as you are now, we will remain on good terms with each other.

Alex and Harry walked over the entrance of the building. They turned back once and waved to Griphook, who waved back. Then the brother and sister walked back into the heat of the alley.


End file.
